Many say corruption must stop, but none agree on how to do that

6:18 AM,
May 13, 2013

A view of the Capitol Building in Albany photographed July 29, 2010.

Written by

Jessica Bakeman
Journal Albany bureau

In 2007, then-Gov. Eliot Spitzer vowed that a new ethics board would clean up Albany. Four years later, Gov. Andrew Cuomo made a similar pledge.

But the corruption at the Capitol hasn't stopped, and it seems to have gotten worse: Thirty state lawmakers have been charged with a crime or faced ethics issues since 2000, including five so far this year.

Cuomo, lawmakers and good-government groups are all demanding reform, but their strategies differ and the doubts persist: Can Albany corruption be legislated away? ...